05 April 2007

Once again, European sports fans really lead the way in terms of their fervent support for their squads. Last week it was Greeks rioting during a women's volleyball game, killing a fan. In Croatia, both the fans and the police have taken things to a new level.

She said the fans had probably arrived on a night train from Zagreb and almost immediately went on the rampage. Police confiscated 24 baseball bats and a number of flares.

Does this sound a little bit like "Green Street Hooligans" to anyone? These are some hardcore fans - they didn't even bother to watch the game before rioting! And considering the train ride from Zagreb to Split is six hours (I've done it), it's not as if the two cities are right around the corner. Talk about dedicated rioters! While security may be lax there, wouldn't a sight of 40 guys with baseball bats in hand on a train look like a bad idea?

The lesson here is to wait until after the game to riot. You never know, you may have something to celebrate after all! Better to be done in the streets than prison.